Experts split on whether robots coming for our jobs is bad

A Pew Research Center report shows various industry experts believe artificial intelligence or robots or digital agents are coming in droves to eliminate jobs in popular fields like healthcare, logistics and customer service by the year 2025. (Video Via NBC)

The growing influence of robots on the workforce was a common theme of the responses, but experts were divided on whether that'll be a good thing.

Of the nearly 1,900 people surveyed, 48 percent felt artificial intelligence will replace a "significant" amount of blue-and-white-collar jobs such as self-driving cars replacing cab drivers - this ultimately leading to creating greater income inequality, rising unemployment and social chaos. (Video via The Economist)

The other 52 percent were a bit more optimistic. Those experts agreed that digital agents will effectively replace much of the human workforce by 2025 - but not displace. They said the number of jobs lost will be outweighed by advances in human ingenuity - basically, humans will go into new jobs that haven't been invented yet. (Video via YouTube / MekaRoboticsVideos)

Of the large swath of opinions from the report, we pulled a couple from both sides of the argument.

U.S. Army Colonel and digital telecommunications expert David Hughes thinks "the human hand will have to be involved on a large scale. Just as aircraft have to have pilots and copilots" And Relationship Economy eXpedition founder Jerry Michalski dropped a "Harry Potter" analogy. "Automation is Voldemort: the terrifying force nobody is willing to name. The race ... is won by automation, and as long as we need fiat currency to pay the rent/mortgage, humans will fall out of the system in droves as this shift takes place."​

Even SpaceX and Tesla Motors pioneer Elon Musk chimed in on the topic - but did so before the study - citing Nick Bostrom's "Superintelligence" book that's made him a believer that A.I. is "potentially more dangerous than nukes."

And a writer for Re/code points out, while we've known this shift was coming for factory work for a while, humans are also being replaced in jobs that require a college degree as robots get smarter and smarter.

This survey also wasn't the first to look into a possible shift to a more automation-driven society.

Last year, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology used statistical models - rather than expert's opinions - and concluded 45 percent of American jobs will be automated in the next two decades.

The Pew Research Center survey was its fourth installment covering the rise of the machines this year alone.

I agree....over one million legal immigrants are coming to America every year-----over one million illegals come to America every year ....we will end up like China, too many people and no jobs.....Chaos and a revolution will be coming soon.

We had no problem with the assembly line when it came about and ended many jobs. We are in a state of semi-robots anyways doing work,. How many jobs are gone from assembly lines now because machines (robots?) do the work. Auto lines have few workers with machines doing most of it. My favorite was Krispy Crème where 3 workers and machines made tons of donuts and you could watch it happening.

Luckily there were no illegals before Obama. Odd my tour of the vineyards had so many workers not speaking English. Where did gallon find all those workers who only spoke Spanish? In Vegas you can't tell the hotel workers to strip the bed while you are going out. None speak English. And all these before Obama. Very Odd.

I was working on this in 1974 only then it was called electromechanical technology. It's true I invented facial recognition, touch screen fat food, and hundreds of other technologies.My intent was never to displace anyone. It would be a good idea to keep all of your employment records - at some point you will be required to prove you held a position displaced by robots to receive government compensation.It's true, we are heading towards a utopian society where everything is done for us and life is easier.

Yeah, people will go do "other things" LFMAO - Just like all the jobs that have already disappeared thanks to technology. Typists, Pressmen, Telephone Operators, Assembly Line Workers, Data Researchers, Salesmen, Miners, Steelworkers, Draftsmen - all gone or going away...

I'm sure these robots will be made in China or India, so I don't think they'll be reliable. Good luck with that! If the majority of society has no income, then these companies are toast anyway. Typical MBA thinking: no long-term vision, just immediate profits.

They are already here. AKM-GSI -- has been selling drone videos of celebrity homes. Steve Ginsburg, who owns the agency, tells us he has no problem shooting the real estate but he wants nothing to do with images that include actual celebs behind their walls.

At this point, where I live (2.4% unemployment), robots would be WELCOMED. We cannot find responsible people who WANT to work. Our hourly starting wages are wayyyy above min wage and we get nothing but couch surfers as candidates. Bring on the robots. They can't come soon enough.